| She had a limited role , the others you mentioned had more to work with , especially Osment , since he was the star . I thought she effectively exuded innocence in the face of great danger . I liked the way Walhberg and Zooey interacted with her , it came across as natural , not forced . It could have gone in sentimental mode ( it did a bit towards the end ) , but i generally felt like she added to the tension in a believable manner , she didn't detract from the proceedings . The trio was the hope of the future because of the qualities they all possessed , they all needed each other for various reasons . Zooey was somewhat irresponsible and directionless , she needed someone to take care of to mature as a woman . Walhberg dealt with kids all the time as a result of his occupation as a teacher , but he would only deal with them for 8 or so hours a day and then go home to his wife , he needed the little girl to find out what type of man he really was , could he be a good father to someone . We already know he's good with kids and well respected , but could he handle being a full time father to a child . Their relationship was tenuous , the foundation was unstable , they needed meaning in their life , the little girl provided that . Even though it's obvious Legs cared his daughter , i got the feeling that there was some tension there , something was missing in their relationship , he wasn't the father that he should have been , Walhberg and Zooey became that person(s) that she needed to grow properly as a child . Legs left his daughter in the care of his two friends , to search for his wife , he should have never done that , i can't imagine a father leaving his child in dangerous uncertain circumstances , so it appears there was a certain amount of neglect on his part even before the events unfolded that threatened all of their lives . In Walhberg and Zooey she found the stable , loving , familial foundation that she was missing all these years , and they found someone to care for , they finally had a purpose and meaning in their lives . In the end , they all knew they had to be together , and they risked their lives to achieve that . I loved that dynamic in the picture , it works on multiple levels , even if at first it may appear that the little girl is being used merely as a narrative plot device , she wasn't simply there to ratchet up the tension , although her presence certainly did , it wasn't merely for that , that she was there . |